Success StoriesTaranakipine's New Building Wins Award |
TGM Design features in LINKZ MagazineThis article featured in LINKZ Magazine in 2009 - www.immigration.govt.nz Responsive Settlement Builds Business New Plymouth based TGM Design was established 20 years ago as a one-person operation providing graphic design services. Over the past two decades, Andrea Leadbetter has steadily built her business, expanding its services to include strategic marketing and copywriting. She has a staff of 12 and now has offices in Hawera and Wanganui as well as New Plymouth. “When I started TGM Design I did everything myself. As the business grew I needed to employ people. I was determined to get the right person for the job, not just someone with the skills but someone who would fit in as well. “I also wanted to be a responsible employer so when employing a migrant I would talk to them regularly making sure they were comfortable working at TGM Design and settling well into the community at large,” says Andrea. “When Lisette from Sweden came to work at TGM Design she seemed so young and all alone, so I asked one of the other designers to be her ‘buddy’. However, what really happened was the whole design team took her under their wing and became her social circle as well. Her English improved daily, and when her short-term contract finished she had the confidence to go and explore the rest of New Zealand as planned,” says Andrea. Three migrants working at TGM Design today have their own stories. “She also helped me adapt to living and working in a new country. We had lots of little chats about my progress in my work and home life.” Casey Mills came to TGM Design from Virginia (United States). She had just finished four years of serious study and with a degree in Business Administration in her back pocket she was looking for adventure. Casey’s mother lived in New Plymouth, so Casey enquired about marketing positions in the city. She knew her degree established her as a desirable employee, but without a sponsor and a job to come to, she wouldn’t get a permit to work in New Zealand. In the meantime, Andrea was looking for a marketing person and offered Casey a job as a marketing strategist. That was nearly five years ago, and Casey is now a New Zealand resident. Her responsibilities at TGM Design have been expanded to include running the printing area of the business. Casey says as well being a sponsor, Andrea has become a mentor and a friend. “She has challenged me both professionally and personally which is great,” she says. “She also helped me adapt to living and working in a new country. We had lots of little “Andrea’s support has been huge—not just at work but also of our cottage industry” Christine Frey is from the east of Switzerland. Her and husband Christof moved to New Zealand eight years ago. They bought 20 hectares farmland in Taranaki and spent the first six months readying it for planting blueberries and other fruit trees. Believing she needed to improve her English, Christine applied for a job as a part-time receptionist. After two years, with her English much improved, she applied for a full-time job with TGM Design. Initially, she managed the reception desk, but that wasn’t for very long. Andrea quickly recognised she had a very qualified employee and Christine became TGM Design’s administrator. Her responsibilities today also include human resources, which suits Christine well, as she is now using the qualifications she gained in Switzerland. While Christine works full time at TGM Design she also helps Christof, with what is now an established farm producing and processing fruit, primarily blueberries. Christine is also a key “She was right behind my efforts to get a farmers’ market up and running and during the blueberry picking season she allows me to work staggered hours, so I can help Christof with picking and “Over the years I have worked here I have always felt part of the team and respected for my knowledge and skills” Adrian Chivers came to New Zealand from Kent England. He is TGM Design’s longest term employee (11 years) and quietly works behind the scenes. He is the in-house person who prints and finishes short–run and urgent jobs. Adrian is also responsible for quality control. He provides ‘another set of eyes’ for work going to print, and checks every delivery from the printers, ensuring TGM Design clients get a superior quality job. Settling into a new country and his job at TGM Design was fairly straightforward he says. “The six other staff members made me feel comfortable. We all got on well, even when we were extremely His skills extend into the wider community as Adrian (guitar) and his band play 60s and 70s music at private functions around Taranaki. |
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